Historical Horizons Lectures Series Returns for Second Year

GCC History Club Announces Fall Dates

BATAVIA, NY (08/15/2016)(readMedia)-- After a successful premiere year of its Historical Horizons Lecture Series, which followed the College's popular Civil War initiative, the History Club at Genesee Community College is excited to announce the Fall 2016 dates and new topics about historical events, people and places that continue to impact the world today. The Historical Horizons Lecture Series begins in early September and continues on the first Wednesday of each month through December.

"We are excited to bring to life more historical events, people and places for a second year of our Historical Horizons Lecture Series," Derek Maxfield, GCC's associate professor of history said. "It's an exciting lineup that includes more and more unique topics that bring history to life. We're eager to include some of the most well-informed local historians to present and display their passions."

The Fall 2016 semester lineup for the Historical Horizons speakers includes:

Wednesday, September 7, 2016, 7 p.m. / Batavia Campus / T102

• Kristen Cruz, independent historian, will present "How Can This Happen? Condoning Genocide in the so-called Civilized World." This presentation will investigate how a country's leader or leadership can use something that is inherently good – such as patriotism for one's country, religion or a plan for economic progress – to encourage millions of ordinary people to condone and even participate in oppression, torture, murder and genocide. Without the support of so many ordinary citizens, these genocides would not have been possible.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016, 7 p.m. / Batavia Campus / T102

• Melinda Grube, PhD, independent historian, will explore the decade-long process in which she "became" Elizabeth Cady Stanton. "Becoming Elizabeth Cady Stanton" discusses how one "becomes" an historical figure, such as a prominent leader of the women's rights movement, and how portraying her to audiences across New York State has dramatically informed and transformed her professionally and personally.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016, 7 p.m. / Batavia Campus / T102

• What happened to universal suffrage? Dr. Alison Parker will answer that question in her presentation, "The Civil Rights of Blacks and Women in the 19th Century." Just after the Civil War, if history had played itself out differently, historians might have said that the Republican Party, triumphant after the end of the Civil War, passed an amendment to the Constitution granting voting rights to all American adults, male and female and black and white alike. This is certainly what many black and white women activists hoped for and expected, but they were greatly disappointed. Dr. Parker will explore how the links between civil rights for blacks and women eroded in the decade or so after the Civil War.

Wednesday, December 7, 2016, 7 p.m. / Batavia Campus / T102

• Drawing on his classroom experience, GCC professor of English Tracy Ford will present "Reading Wrong: The Danger of Ignoring History when Interpreting Literature." Works of fiction can be appreciated in many different ways, but we risk "reading wrong" if we ignore the history out of which the literature arises. Professor Ford will discuss how knowledge of history is essential for smart leadership and advances society.

All lectures are free and open to the public, and take place in room T102 of the Conable Technology Building at 7 p.m. Professor Maxfield also encourages attendees to stay tuned for other lecture dates at Genesee Community College campus centers.

For more information go to: https://gcchistoricalhorizons.wordpress.com/ or contact Marketing Communications Associate Director Donna Rae Sutherland at (585) 343-0055 ext. 6616, or via email: dsutherland@genesee.edu.

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